Impact and Crash Worthiness Testing
The impact resistance of a device or structure is important for
many industries where devices/components can be exposed to impact
events
or where devices/components are subject to abuse. Examples of impact
include:
- Aerospace structures (fuselage, wings, canopy etc) by debris (tools...)
- Composite pipes with spanners or equipment
- Automotive structure with solid object – crash protection for occupants
- Dropping of portable devices (e.g. mobile phones, medical inhalers etc)
Impact events can have a detrimental effect on the future performance
of the device/component/structure. In addition, impact
on materials that have been aged can identify a material's toughness
and its ductile to brittle transition point.
MERL has developed specialist impact test facilities to enable a variety
of tests to be performed on materials, components, devices or structures.
The test facilities at MERL materials testing laboratories are complemented
by the finite element analysis capabilities at MERL - which offers:
- Simulation of high rate impact of model components and structures to predict localized deformations and failure
- Materials model derivation at high loading rates
- Validation of materials models at high loading rates
- Design optimization to reduce product development costs
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